Alphabet Revokes Pledge to Avoid AI in Weapons Development
Alphabet Drops AI Pledge, Opens Door to Military and Surveillance Use
Alphabet, Google’s parent company, has removed its commitment to avoiding artificial intelligence (AI) applications for weapons and surveillance, marking a significant shift in its ethical stance.
On Tuesday, just before reporting earnings that fell short of expectations, the U.S. tech giant announced an update to its AI principles. The revised guidelines no longer prohibit technologies that could “cause or are likely to cause overall harm.”
Google’s AI chief, Demis Hassabis, defended the changes, citing a shifting global landscape and emphasizing AI’s role in national security. In a blog post, Hassabis and James Manyika, Alphabet’s senior vice president for technology and society, stated that as AI competition intensifies, “democracies should lead in AI development” based on values like “freedom, equality, and respect for human rights.”
They further argued that companies and governments sharing these principles should collaborate to ensure AI “protects people, promotes global growth, and supports national security.”
Google’s original motto, “Don’t be evil,” was softened in 2009 to a guiding mantra and omitted from Alphabet’s code of ethics when the parent company was established in 2015.
The rapid expansion of AI has fueled debate over its governance and potential risks. British computer scientist Stuart Russell has cautioned against autonomous weapon systems, advocating for global oversight.
Alphabet’s blog post justified the shift by pointing to AI’s evolution since the company introduced its principles in 2018. “AI has become a general-purpose technology, as ubiquitous as mobile phones and the internet,” wrote Hassabis and Manyika, emphasizing its widespread benefits.
Following the announcement, Alphabet’s stock dropped 7.5% in after-hours trading after reporting $96.5 billion in consolidated revenue, slightly below analyst forecasts of $96.67 billion.
